07/30, 12:19pm

Canton Road Apple Store continues aggressive Apple China expansion

Apple has opened up its latest Apple Store in China, with the Canton Road location in Hong Kong's Tsim Sha Tsui district being the fourth outlet for the city. CEO Tim Cook took to Twitter to thank the "thousands of Hong Kong customers" visiting the new location and joining in the celebration of the store launch, with the 23rd Apple Store constructed in China being part of a major retail expansion in the country for the company.

07/24, 8:56am

Apple has confirmed the pull, but not the fairly apparent reason why

After months of speculation on the future of the product with Apple, the popular Nest smart thermostat co-developed by ex-Apple employee Tony Fadell and now owned by Google has been purged from both Apple's online store, and also the retail arm of the company. In its place is now the Ecobee 3 HomeKit thermostat.

07/16, 2:37pm

Despite a previous dismissal of an earlier version of the lawsuit, a US District Court judge has ruled that Apple must face a trial in a class-action lawsuit over the practice of "bag checks," a standard retail loss-prevention technique that is widespread among retailers. The specific dispute in the case involving Apple was that employees complained they were being detained for up to 15 minutes after their shift had ended, without compensation for the lost time.

07/09, 6:16pm

Gartner disagrees, claims US Mac sales down from year-ago quarter

The latest estimates for retail sales and marketshare from industry analyst firm IDC claim that Mac sales have risen significantly, even in the face of an overall and deepening industry slump in traditional notebook and desktop PCs. For the June quarter that ended at the end of last month, IDC estimates that Mac shipments were up 16.1 percent worldwide from the year-ago quarter while the PC market generally saw an 11.8 percent contraction year-over-year. Apple was the only major computer maker to show a gain in the report.

06/11, 5:34pm

Apple CEO asks execs to investigate retail employee complaints

According to documents unsealed in an ongoing lawsuit brought by Apple retail workers against the company, Apple Store employees took to writing emails directly to Apple CEO Tim Cook to complain about the way employee bag check searches, which are intended to guard against pilfering and loss, are conducted. The lawsuit contends that employees are subject to "demeaning" procedures that also cost them excessive time and lost wages.

06/11, 3:02pm

Some US stores following Euro trend of 'blending in' to area style

The latest Apple Store to open in New York City -- the Upper East Side location, the seventh in greater NYC -- is somewhat hard to spot, particularly compared to some other area Apple stores, such as the iconic glass cube that marks the entrance to the Fifth Avenue store. The Upper East Side store, inside the Beaux Arts building from the 1920s that used to house US Mortgage and Trust bank, has no outward appearance of its current function, save for a small black flag with the Apple logo on the outside.

06/04, 1:45pm

Apple Stores to carry UP2 and UP3, other models in near future

Although Apple retail stores cleared out most fitness bands and similar health-related accessories in April in anticipation of the release of the Apple Watch, the company did continue to stock some basic bands such Jawbone's Up Move clip-on unit. On Thursday, a Jawbone senior executive revealed in Japan that the company's other models would be returning to the Apple Store in Japan and other regions, including the US, this summer.

06/04, 8:51am

Apple today announced that the highly sought-after Apple Watch will be available in Italy, Mexico, Singapore, South Korea, Spain, Switzerland and Taiwan beginning Friday, June 26 from the Apple Online Store, Apple's retail stores and select Apple Authorized Resellers. Alongside the international expansion, Apple noted that US retail availability of the wearable is imminent, with an estimate commencement starting on or around June 19, a week ahead of the international expansion.

05/29, 5:46pm

First HomeKit accessories said to ship just prior to Worldwide Developers Conference

Just ahead of Apple's Worldwide Developer Conference, which kicks off June 8, a number of manufacturers are set to announce the first HomeKit-compatible products arriving at retail, according to sources. The home-automation technology allows common household products such as lighting systems, environment systems, alarms, doors, and other items to be controlled through iOS app and Siri.

05/18, 2:34pm

First UAE store will be 50,000 square feet, planned for August opening

A new report from Dubai indicates that Apple will build the world's largest Apple Store in the country's Mall of the Emirates that should open this summer. The facility will be some 50,000 square feet in total, and will be the first Apple retail store in the United Arab Emirates and Middle East, though a second one is said to be in the planning stages. The country has had an online Apple store since 2011, but the new brick-and-mortar store is expected to open in August of this year.

05/15, 6:58am

Prime subscribers can ask Alexa to re-order previously bought items

Amazon has made it easier for owners of its Echo to do online shopping, in what is an expected expansion of the capabilities of the retailer's portable speaker. Prime subscribers are now being given the option of placing orders for items they shopped for previously by voice commands alone, via the Alexa digital assistant, half a year after the Echo initially launched.

05/05, 4:47pm

Some stores had been supporting the service unofficially alongside NFC rivals

Contrary to earlier media reports that suggested Home Depot would drop the mobile payments service, in fact the company has announced that it formally plans to support Apple Pay throughout its entire US operation, making it the largest retailer thus far to support Apple's mobile-payments platform. The announcement comes alongside, and will not replace, stores' acceptance of payment rival PayPal, and the chain says it may continue to add other payment forms.

04/27, 12:00pm

If podcasts were eggs, The MacNN Podcast would be ready to deliver in a cardboard carton! We're up to episode 12, and we take a look at the top stories of the past week, including the retail debut -- such as it was -- of the Apple Watch, where a few select high-fashion stores did actually have stock to sell to walk-in customers. We also chat about the big industry news of the Time Warner-Comcast merger collapse, Randy Ubillos' retirement, and more.

04/24, 11:47am

Few locations have some actual selling stock, but mostly demos rule on former retail debut

While Apple has since abandoned its former April 24 retail launch day for the Apple Watch due to a global sellout, a few select stores -- almost entirely third-party fashion boutique sellers who secured allotments early -- are said to have or have had actual stock of Apple Watches to sell. Customers hoping to score one today are lining up outside these shops, even as Apple Retail chief Dame Angela Ahrendts spent the day in China.

04/23, 1:10am

Most likely due to orders having been filled ahead of the April 10 pre-ordering debut of the Apple Watch, a handful of select high-end boutique outlets will actually have some Apple Watches for sale on April 24, as the company originally planned for its own stores. The boutiques are said to be receiving pre-alloted shipments of the Sport and Watch models, but the gold Edition version continues to be unavailable anywhere at retail.

04/17, 1:40pm

Although the unexpected sellout of the Apple Watch will put a crimp of unavailability in the works, Apple is going ahead with new "Apple Watch Basics" workshops at some of its retail stores beginning April 24. The lucky relative few who will receive their pre-orders on or near launch day, along with those who are still waiting, are likely to be the chief participants in the workshops, which will run through May 8 in the US only. The classes will run approximately 60 minutes in order to cover all of the many key features of the new device.

04/16, 9:32am

A letter by Apple retail chief Angela Ahrendts has informed the Apple retail chain that Apple Watch won't be available in stores at all on the original launch date. April 24. Additionally, "high global interest combined with our initial supply" is preventing retail availability until June, at the earliest. Citing the need for the experience to be perfect for the user, Apple "will be able to get customers the model they want earlier and faster by taking orders online."

04/15, 9:46pm

Yet another wearable device will be offering alternative payments in the future, according to a report. According to theWall Street Journal, American Express and Jawbone are planning to announce a new system that will allow AmEx card owners to use the manufacturer's fitness bands to make payments at a number of retailers in the United States.

04/15, 9:39pm

Apple to open three new stores in time for Apple Watch retail debut

Apple plans to open at least three new stores in time for the retail debut of the Apple Watch -- though it is unclear if any of the stores will actually have Watches to sell, as the company has switched to an online pre-order system only ahead of the debut date. The stores will open in Hangzhou, China; Miami Beach, Florida; and Sao Paolo, Brazil. The latter two have already been officially announced for April 24 by Apple. Of these, Brazil is the only new store not to be part of the first wave of countries receiving the Apple Watch.

04/08, 12:09pm

Apple to open another store in Hangzhou, China on day of Apple Watch launch

As if April 24 won't be a busy enough day for Apple with the retail debut of the Apple Watch in a wave of nine countries, the company will also open a brand new second Apple Store in Hangzhou, China on that Friday as well. The new location will be a more typical mall-type store in the MixC mall in Vietiane City, and comes just three months after the first Hangzhou store in West Lake, which was a two-story standalone store.

04/06, 8:36pm

CEO offers employees a half-off discount on sport, steel editions

Following a suggestion from a retail employee during a meeting in Germany, Apple CEO Tim Cook has met the suggestion half way: he has decided to offer all Apple employees, including retail workers, a 50 percent discount off the cost of either aluminum "sport" version or the stainless steel version of the Apple Watch, or $550 off the cost of the 18kt gold Edition versions. The discount is only available for 90 days, starting April 10.

03/26, 8:02am

Amazon expands Prime Now one-hour deliveries to Dallas

Amazon Prime Now, the retailer's high-speed delivery service, is opening up in Dallas. Just as with its other Prime Now locations, Prime subscribers in the fourth location will be able to use a mobile app on iOS and Android to place orders for groceries and household goods, between 8am and 10pm seven days a week, with TechCrunchreporting it still costs $8 for one-hour deliveries, while two-hour deliveries are free.

03/19, 7:11pm

Although many MacNN readers will be familiar with B&H Photo Video through the company's online site via its frequent mention in our various deals posts, the firm is actually the largest non-chain electronics retailer in the United States, having a midtown Manhattan location since 1973 and being a widely-recognized photo, video, and Apple specialist. Earlier this week, the store opened its Apple-authorized "store within a store" focusing on Apple products.

03/17, 9:00pm

Apple hints that Apple Watch has received FCC approval

Apple on Tuesday removed disclaimer language from its Apple Watch web page, signalling that it has obtained approval for sale of the device in at least the US, if not all the major countries where Apple is currently planning to launch the Apple Watch at retail beginning April 24. The Watch will be available for preview and pre-ordering -- but not for sale -- at Apple Stores beginning April 10 in select countries.

03/17, 7:40am

In a previously-unannounced move, Apple is creating a store dedicated to just selling the Apple Watch (and accessories) as part of an existing upscale department store in Shinjuku, Tokyo. The "store-within-a-store," borrowing from previous Apple retail concepts, could be come a permanent display for the fashionable Apple Watch if sales merit it. The department store, Isetan, is placing the mini-shop near its main entrance.

03/16, 5:04pm

Owners of Android smartphones may soon be able to earn some money by trading in their old devices, this time via Apple. A report claims Apple is looking to start accepting non-Apple devices in an upcoming refresh of its recycling and trade-in program, with the program providing Android switchers with gift cards that can then be used to purchase iPhones.

03/13, 9:28pm

Pad & Quill, Twelve South, others announce Watch-related gear

The race to get Apple Watch accessories to market in time for the arrival of the forthcoming device is in full swing, with a number of iOS accessory companies offering charging stands and other options for owners of the device. In addition, Apple Stores have started posting banners of the Apple Watch a month before it will make its retail debut, and testers combing through iOS 8.3's Apple Watch elements have discovered details on the Activity app, including a dark mode.

03/11, 3:22pm

Currys PC World hosts first Google-branded store in UK

Google has taken inspiration from the retail efforts of other tech companies, including Microsoft and Samsung, in opening its first "store within a store" under the Google brand. Called "The Google Shop," the store is located inside a branch of national retailer Currys PC World on Tottenham Court Road in London, and will be used to showcase a selection of Android devices, Chromebooks, and the Chromecast.

02/27, 5:16pm

Apple Watch, abilities will expand over time, replace car keys as well

In a new interview with the UK newspaper the Telegraph, Apple CEO Tim Cook has revealed a few new tidbits about the forthcoming Apple Watch, as well as some of the larger vision behind such innovations as the watch, and Apple Pay, and Touch ID -- an all-out attempt to reduce the ephemera people need to carry with them, from wallets to car keys. In the same report, Cook also confirmed that Apple will "tweak" its retail look to accommodate Apple Watch buyers, who are likely to be even more upscale than average Apple customers.

02/24, 10:42am

Customers can walk in, provide phone number, and be summoned to the store

According to multiple sources familiar with the matter, the latest changes to Apple retail by Angela Ahrendts is coming to stores soon. Most Apple retail stores will shift walk-in Genius Bar appointment notifications to one using customers' mobile phones as de facto pagers, not only giving time estimates for a service window, but also informing customers that an availability is opening up allowing users to shop elsewhere in a mall, rather than waiting for sometimes hours in the store.

02/10, 6:22am

Google adds medical details to Knowledge Graph

Google has updated its Knowledge Graph, used to provide extra details in search results for common subjects, with health-related information. Vetted by a team of doctors at Google and the Mayo Clinic for accuracy, the new cards will bring up details for common health conditions, including symptoms, treatments, commonality, if it is contagious, and other relevant points, along with illustrations for some conditions.

02/03, 12:41pm

Asian version of US ad plays to Chinese market, gift-giving season

Apple has created a new version of its holiday ad "The Song" for the Chinese market in time for the Lunar New Year celebrations, which commence later this month. The wholly-reimagined ad is prominently featured on the company's China website, and is the first such ad made directly for China. Senior VP of Retail Dame Angela Ahrendts has made China a priority over the next two years as it emerges as Apple's third-largest market.

02/03, 9:22am

Executive instrumental to expansion of Apple retail chain

Apple's VP of Retail Real Estate, Bob Bridger, will soon be retiring from the company, sources say. Bridger reportedly revealed the information at a meeting last Thursday, without mentioning any special reasons for leaving. The executive is noted to be the last major Retail division executive from the era when Ron Johnson led the group, and Steve Jobs was still company CEO.

02/02, 11:12am

Brooklyn and Manhattan locations running behind schedule

Apple is preparing to open two stores in previously-untapped urban markets. The first is in the Chinese city of Tianjin, and will be debuting this Saturday at 10AM local time. The other is in the New York City borough of Queens; sources say the shop will open later this year on the second floor of the Queens Center Mall. One of the sources claims that the outlet will be Apple's biggest inside a New York mall, and that the company expects revenues to top high-profile locations elsewhere in the state.

02/02, 9:45am

To be used for gold models only

Some Apple Stores are already being equipped with custom safes in order to store the gold Edition models of the forthcomng Apple Watch, sources say. It's thought that the safes will be used to protect both for-sale inventory and any demo units, the latter of which will have to be removed from the showfloor overnight. Because demo hardware will have to stay fully charged, the safes are said to have MagSafe chargers mounted inside.

01/27, 5:42pm

Flagship product gets pushed beyond rumored window

The Apple Watch will ultimately ship in April, the company has confirmed through a quarterly results call hosted by CEO Tim Cook and CFO Luca Maestri. The company didn't go into any other details, such as a specific release date. April, however, is even later than the March timeframe mentioned in recent rumors, which themselves suggested a delay from February. Until now Apple has only ever promised an "early 2015" date.

01/26, 9:00pm

Second in city will be standalone, offer Shanghai-like cylinder shape

Following in the footsteps of recent murals that "drape" under-construction standalone stores (such as the one that covered the recently-opened Hangzhou store), Apple has created another mural to cover the cylinder-shaped forthcoming Chongqing store, which is set to open this Saturday. The new location, the second for the city, will be the third of five store openings in China promised by the company before the arrival of the New Year on February 19.

01/26, 6:34pm

First of five new Chinese Apple Stores to open before Lunar New Year

A new Apple store based on its latest two-story designs (as seen in San Francisco and elsewhere) has opened in Hangzhou, China. As is typical for such openings, lines of enthusiasts trailed around the block to experience Asia's largest and latest Apple Store, the second in a series of five that will open around China by the start of the official Chinese New Year on Thursday, February 19. The first new store was opened in Zhengzhou earlier this month to similar acclaim and excitement.

01/23, 9:53pm

Chipperfield was VP of Digital and Interactive Design, now on 'Special Projects'

Apple has once again lured a top executive from UK fashion retailer Burberry: following the hiring a year ago of former CEO Dame Angela Ahrendts, the company has brought in former Vice President of Digital and Interactive Design Chester Chipperfield from Burberry to work with the "Special Projects" group at Apple, which is likely to involve the forthcoming Apple Watch. The company also recently hired one of Burberry's social media executives, Musa Tariq, as it continues to build a team of expert fashion merchandisers.

01/20, 9:20am

Outlet arriving January 24th

Apple has posted a new video on its Chinese retail site, highlighting a mural covering the company's yet-to-be-opened Hangzhou outlet. The mural features a poem written about the city some 2,000 years ago. For Apple, the text was repainted by modern calligrapher Wang Dongling. The shop is due to open this Saturday, January 24.

01/15, 7:58pm

Venerable tech retailer RadioShack released its fiscal Q3 numbers to the US Securities and Exchange Commission this month. The report includes information about what RadioShack describes as a "prolonged downturn in our business" and predictions about its liquidity if efforts to restructure its debt don't go through by February 2, the last day of Q4 for RadioShack's current fiscal year.

01/12, 6:42pm

Visual trickery designed to catch attention, increase interest in iPads

A good magic trick, even in the 21st century, will still get people to stop and watch and try to figure out how it is done. Over the weekend, Apple retail stores around the US debuted a new window display showcasing the company's iPad line and Smart Cover accessory on a thin tabletop that features a line of the products, with the Smart Cover opening and closing itself to demonstrate the magnetic latch feature that wakes or sleeps the machine automatically.

01/12, 12:50pm

Should trigger alerts via companies' iOS apps

Marsh Supermarkets and inMarket have announced a new iBeacon platform, the first to emphasize the Apple Watch. The plan is to use iBeacons at Marsh's 75 locations to push ads, shopping lists, and other content to both Watches and iPhones. Initially, the platform will support the official Marsh app and inMarket's List Ease, but other apps should follow as long as they support inMarket's Proximity SDK. All apps will have to update with Watch support, but the platform itself is Watch-ready.

01/07, 9:23am

Workers take wraps off of long-hidden location

As reported last summer, Apple's next store in Chongqing, China, will feature a smaller glass cylinder nevertheless mimicking the design of the company's flagship outlet in Shanghai, photos show. Construction workers this week dismantled a steel structure that was concealing the 30-foot-tall cylinder, which in turn tops a staircase leading to the actual store. Another similarity with Shanghai is that the Chongqing store is based in a plaza, and surrounded by taller structures.

01/06, 5:15pm

'Extensive' retail training lined up for February

The Apple Watch will miss a previously-rumored launch date and instead ship by the end of March, sources say. Although Apple has only ever officially stated an "early 2015" window, some rumors had suggested Apple was aiming for a February date, possibly by Valentine's Day. Even then, it was often believed that Apple was likely to overshoot its goal.

01/02, 6:38pm

Gallery of Mac- and iOS-created photos, drawings expands from online to retail stores

Less than a week after having expanded its "Start Something New" campaign from its Japanese site to the US and most other global Apple sites, the company has begun adding some of the pictures from its curated collection of artwork made on Macs or iOS devices to selected retail stores. The campaign focuses once again on how users use the products to enhance their own lives, but this time focuses on active productivity in the form of artwork creation. Photographs, drawings and videos dominate the collection.

01/02, 9:31am

Bag contents at least twice value of initial cost

Apple has sold out of the 2015 edition of its annual "Lucky Bag" promotion, in which its Japanese stores sell bags containing surprise goods worth more than their initial price tag. This year's bags cost 36,000 yen (about $300) each, but held products worth anywhere between $640 and $1,280. Each one had a "big" surprise, along with an Apple TV, Beats Powerbeats2 wireless earbuds, a New Year's edition of a Mophie power station, and a 1,000-yen iTunes gift card. All of the items were secured in Incase Icon Slim Pack backpacks.

12/31, 8:08pm

Restaurant chain will eat losses if banks do not compensate customers for any breach

A rash of credit and debit card fraud cases have been tracked back to accounts that were all used at various Chick-Fil-A locations around the US. The fast food restaurant joins the ranks of retailers with point of sale security issues. This particular breach appears to have run from December of 2013 to September of 2014.

12/30, 7:53pm

Cites Supreme Court decision that security screenings are not part of job

Apple has won in a pair of lawsuits lodged in the summer of 2013 by disgruntled employees that charged the company with a form of "wage theft" by not paying workers while they were being checked during mandatory security and loss-prevention screenings. Citing a Supreme Court decision in a similar case, Federal Court Judge William Alsop ruled that such screenings are not "integral and indispensable" parts of the retail workers' jobs, therefore the plaintiffs were not entitled to compensation for the time spent in such activities.

12/26, 6:12pm

Stores to open early, offer paid 'grab bags' that could be worth thousands

Apple Japan will begin its traditional promotion for Japanese retail buyers, known as Fukubukuro or "Lucky Bags," starting on January 2, the company has announced. The promotion involves customers buying one of several "grab bag" gift boxes for a set price -- last year it was about 36,000 yen, or roughly $300 in current US dollars -- that could contain very valuable gifts, and usually at least top the value of the list price. Some of the boxes contained iPads or MacBook Airs, for example.